Every Road
by Jax Malcolm
Summary: What's beyond the boundaries of Pallet Town? A naïve child looks looks toward the unknown he's about to face. One shot. NOT an OT story.


Note: All reviews will be responded to at www(dot)livejournal(dot)com/kaztamashii .

* * *

Down every road, I'm told, is some place different. I personally wouldn't know. I've never been outside of Pallet Town before today. Yet here I am, staring at the long, winding dirt road leading towards a place I've never seen before. 

They say the cities are bigger and that the skyscrapers really _do_ reach the sky like the Tower of Babel in that one story Mom told me a long time ago. I've never seen a skyscraper either. They don't have them in Pallet Town. The biggest building here is just Professor Oak's laboratory, and even that isn't all _that_ impressive.

I've heard the pokémon outside of this town are tough. I wouldn't know that either. The toughest pokémon around here are rattata and spearow north and northwest of town, but children aren't allowed out there without a pokémon of their own. I think there's tangela south of town too, but you can't get to the fields they're in without having a pokémon or a boat. So, I, having only gotten a pokémon today and having never been on a boat before anyways, never saw a tangela for real before.

But from what I've heard, they're tough out there. They say there's all sorts of pokémon out there – ones that are evolved, too, like parasect and nidorino. I've seen both on television before. I watch pokémon battles there everyday, so I see trainers use all sorts. Last night, for example, I saw a nidorino and a gengar.

I hope I don't have to battle people with either. Not right away, anyways. I just got my pokémon today, so I don't want to battle people stronger than me right now. Still, I say I'm going to be strong right off the bat out loud and that I'll take down everyone who comes my way. It's an empty threat. I'm really a little scared, but I'll never admit that.

Yeah. I'm worried. I'm worried that I won't make it and that I'll have to come back before I can be a real pokémon master, like Lance in those battles on Channel Nine. I'm worried that I'll get hurt or that I'll get so homesick I can't move. It hurts already, and I haven't even stepped outside of Pallet Town. It hurts so _much_.

But even then, Mom says I should be brave and stick to it. She says that even if it's hard, I've got to keep going. And I will. I want to be a pokémon master, so I can't give up when I just started. And even if I don't make it, I'll still have fun trying.

There's thousands of things I haven't seen because I haven't left Pallet Town. There's thousands of people I never met because I haven't left Pallet Town. Not to mention there's thousands of things I haven't done because I haven't left Pallet Town.

Now, I'm leaving Pallet Town, and I have a long list in my head of things I want to do and see. It's longer than the list of pokémon I know I want to catch. Still, most of that stuff isn't important. I know that I'll have adventures, and that list in my head will constantly change because of it.

The sun's still shining. It's still morning – early morning. I still haven't left Pallet Town. I'm still worried, but I'm still excited. I could just quit now and hear about those things the older trainers tell us about when they come back home, but… is that really the same?

I look back at the crowd behind me. They're further away, but they're still cheering for me. They haven't lost interest in me yet, and I don't think they ever will.

My eyes look downward at the pikachu next to me. It doesn't like me, but that doesn't matter. We're partners, so it'll have to get over it soon. But that still makes me wonder if I'll be okay with it. What would happen if a strong pokémon comes up, and Pikachu still decides it doesn't like me?

No. We're partners. If we have to fight with each other, we'll fight, but soon, we'll be friends. I know it.

I look over my shoulder again at the people behind me. They're still cheering, and what seems like an hour has already passed. I bet Gary's already at the next town by now, but that's okay. I'll be better than him someday. He'll see.

So, I make the first step outside of the boundaries of Pallet Town. It's my first step outside of town. They don't let children outside without their own Pokémon, but today, I'm not a child anymore. I just got my Pokémon today.

They say down every road is someplace new and different. I'm about to see it for myself.


End file.
